Who knew that combining colored corn starch, community and competition could result in more than $18,000?

The final fundraising figure was a welcome surprise for the school and PTSO leaders behind Hopewell Junior School’s inaugural “Color Run” on Sept. 28. But more difficult to calculate was the exponential impact it had on strengthening the school community.

“Balancing professional, efficient fundraising with events that bring our families and community together is so important,” said PTSO fundraising co-chair Susanne Page, who helped lead the charge in creating the one-mile, after-school running event behind Hopewell. The course was divided up by five different color stations manned by school and district-level staff armed with bottles of colored powder.

While students’ white shirts at the starting line passed through the finish line as a rainbow of colors, no amount of color could cover up their smiles and laughter. Students and staff continued the festivities with live music, food and even a dunk booth.

“What set this event apart is that the reward to students for raising funds for the school was all experiences versus the traditional tangible rewards,” said Amy Macenski, who leads Hopewell’s PTSO fundraising alongside Page. “One of our goals was for the kids to learn that supporting your community and being together is the reward.”

The fundraising component aside, Hopewell Principal Jeff Rouff agreed that an event combining friendly competition, community building, responsibility and even health and wellness is one that deserves to live on as a new Thunderhawk tradition.

“The greatest part of this event was that we were able to have over 220 students get involved with an after-school activity where almost all of their teachers joined in with them to make it a great event,” Rouff said. “With the hard work of our PTSO, we were able to create an event that promoted personal wellness, connected students, community members, and staff, and raised money for our PTSO.”

Eighth-grader Dylan Jackson enjoyed the experience and even pointed out the fact that along the way, he met and talked to some classmates he didn’t know previously. “It doesn’t get much better than running around with all your friends and getting messy,” he said.

Page and Macenski are proud of the fact that 100 percent of the event donations will support future PTSO-sponsored events and programs at Hopewell. In fact, they leaned on local businesses for some of the monetary and in-kind donations, noting that “by staying within our community, our community profits too.”